Larch Hill
| Larch Hill | |||
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| Owner | Scouting Ireland | ||
| Location | Tibradden, Dublin | ||
| Country | Ireland | ||
| Coordinates | 53°15′14″N 6°16′54″W / 53.253885°N 6.281766°W | ||
| Founded | 1938 | ||
| Founder | Prof. JB Whelehan | ||
| Center manager | Conor McKeown | ||
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Website http://www.larchhill.org |
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Larch Hill International Scout & Guide Centre is the national campsite, and administrative and training headquarters of Scouting Ireland. It was previously owned by Scouting Ireland (CSI).
It was purchased in 1937 and has gone on to become one of the main hubs of European Scout camping. The estate has been revitalised in recent years with the creation of Scouting Ireland in 2004. The architecturally unique headquarters building remains the focal point of Larch Hill. At 226 metres above sea level, the site consists of camping fields, a small hostel, conference facilities (in the Millennium Room), hiking trails, a nature centre, a Beaver Scout playground, a (currently derelict) swimming pool and a large campfire circle.
Larch Hill is so called as it is reputed that it was the site of the first ever planting of the European Larch species in Ireland.
The warden staff of the site, or the Meitheal, are voluntary members of Scouting Ireland and wear an orange neckerchief with the Larch symbol. They were also entitled (under Scouting Ireland (CSI)) to wear unique orange epaulettes. In 2011, the centre's manager was James Usher. As of January 2014, Conor McKeown was appointed Centre Manager
Larch Hill was the Despard family seat from the early 18th century. It is unknown whether the builder was Rev. Richard Despard of Larch Hill (1718–1779), followed by Richard's son Rev. Francis G. Despard of Larch Hill (1753–1819) and his son, Richard Despard of Larch Hill (1781–1840).
The earliest existing buildings at Larch Hill were built as a summer house for a wealthy Dublin merchant, J.P., and alderman, John O'Neill (1768/9-1843) of Fitzwilliam Square, whose business premises were on Ormond Quay. He was at Larch Hill by 1821 at the latest, when he engaged in a charitable parish project of the Rathfarnham Free School “for Educating and Clothing Ninety-four poor Children”. He supported the parish and helped the building of a church for the new Church of Ireland parish of Whitechurch, where his family grave and monument can still be found.
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